Bill > HR4798

This bill proposes significant changes to census procedures and voting requirements. First, it modifies the decennial census (the population count conducted every 10 years) by requiring that the census include a checkbox for citizenship status and conduct a mid-decade census. The bill mandates that congressional representation and electoral votes will be based solely on the number of U.S. citizens, excluding non-citizens from population counts. Additionally, the bill introduces strict voter identification requirements for federal elections, mandating that voters must provide both government-issued photo identification and proof of U.S. citizenship when casting ballots, whether voting in person or by mail. For in-person voting, individuals without proper documentation can cast a provisional ballot, which will only be counted if they are subsequently verified as U.S. citizens. The bill defines acceptable forms of citizenship proof, including passports, birth certificates, military records, and naturalization documents. It also establishes criminal penalties for assisting non-citizens in attempting to vote or providing ballots to individuals without proper identification. These changes would take effect for the November 2026 federal election and subsequent elections, fundamentally altering census counting methods and voter participation requirements.

Government Affairs

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4798/all-info